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Thread: Should I buy a used 3 series?

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Should I buy a used 3 series?

    Newby here, I've never owned a Bimmer so bear with me. I'm looking at a pre-owned '08 328i with 112,000 miles (not certified pre-owned). This will be a 1st car for my daughter. It appears to have been maintained well with service records. No issues, just normal wear on a vehicle with this mileage. What am I looking at as far as any issues at this mileage? How reliable are these? Thanks for the help.

  2. #2
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    Has the water pump been replaced? Have the oil leaks been addressed (oil filter housing, valve cover, and oil pan)? Have all the ignition coils and plugs been replaced?
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

  3. #3
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    It's far more practical to buy her something Japanese like a Civic, in my opinion. These cars need a constant eye watching and hands maintaining them. There's no other driving experience however and getting a BMW for a first car is certainly living the dream. Since you're not well versed in the BMW world I would strongly suggest paying a competent BMW specialist (not just any shop) around $100-150 for a pre-purchase inspection or PPI once you've found the right one.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
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    Thanks for the insight. She's not dead set on the BMW, we just found one that caught our eye. I'll take a closer look at it, but we may be passing on it.

  5. #5
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    Driving a German car will spoil her for Camrys', Civics etc. Long term financial implications

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    If you or your daughter are able to do basic repairs, you have a trusted BWM mechanic for the more difficult stuff, and you have your trusted BMW mechanic go over this one and pronounce it OK, you should be fine. An older 3 series BMW - and I used a far older BMW than this as my daily driver until recently - is not too bad if you can do your own maintenance. Parts are slightly more expensive than a Civic, but not unreasonable. But if you've got to pay someone to do all the repairs, it can get costly.
    Matt Cramer
    1997 BMW 328i convertible, 1972 Chevy C10 pickup, 1966 Dodge Dart slant six
    BMW - where "Why doesn't everybody build cars the way they do?" meets "Why can't they build a car the same way everyone else does it?"

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